That is indeed the plan, but there's more to it than just Drivers! Just think... When do the Guards get trained? When do Alstom get trained for maintenance? What about the catering hosts? When does the new Scarborough depot get commissioned? When do CAF complete the required snags and modifications? The answer is that the 'incompetent' TPE management are completely the above items simultaneously to expedite getting the 'couple' of sets into regular service, but some things, like safety critical training, can not be rushed.
Whilst I do appreciate the frustration you might feel towards the delay on this project, believe me when I say, as I have done several times in this thread before, TPE (and all the people that make it happen) are not sitting back.
There are people absolutely busting a gut, day in, day out, to bring these trains into traffic ASAP. There are so many complexities that those of you who have never worked within a 'new trains' project will be completely unaware of. So please, have a bit of respect for the people who are working to bring these trains into traffic, as there is not a single person within the organisation who is making decisions to intentionally delay the project.
TPE are not benefitting financially from the delay to these trains - if anything, they are losing money due to the lease costs for the Class 68s.
I find the delay as frustrating as the next person, but I won't stand back and have (external, uninformed) people speak negatively of colleagues and friends who are giving their all to mitigate the things that prevent these trains from entering traffic.
I'm in the industry and do have a good idea of what goes on with new and existing rolling stock.
I wasn't wrong about the Mk3 debacle though, was i?
Yes i should have said staff training, which is what i meant, drivers, guards on board staff.
There is no reason that fitters have not had training, had sets long enough now, had Class 68s long enough now.
Should the Scarborough depot not have been finished by now, 11 Mk5a sets have been built and delivered, four accepted, how long has this all been in the planning, when was it First retained the franchise?
As for snags and mods surely they were mainly done before handover from CAF, other faults and failures are bound to crop up as with any new rolling stock, when actually put into passenger service, as Northern are finding out now, as we did when our new trains arrived, updates are carried out as you go.
There should have been enough crews trained by now to run a 2 train service whilst others trained and some training done on service trains. If TPE have not got enough staff to be able to do all this, who is that down to? Management are supposed to know how much staff is required and how long training plans are going to be.
Ok problems with the CAF sets doesn't help but stop making false promises and false introductory dates.
I have no problem with the staff busting a gut to bring these trains into traffic, good on them, for trying as hard as they can but something is wrong somewhere as it's all taking way too long.
Management have obviously taken on too much with 3 new types and it's the passengers and staff probably who are suffering with daily cancellations, short forms, terminating trains part way to destination.
I for one being Pro-railway wanted this to work but we are a long way off yet it would seem.
Good luck to all the men & women in the frontline trying to make this possible, i think they need it.